


The Sea-Monster in Question

by Silvestria



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Banter, Classics, F/M, Greek myth hate flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-23
Updated: 2011-07-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 16:40:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/227344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silvestria/pseuds/Silvestria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary reads Greek myths. Matthew catches her at it. Banter ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sea-Monster in Question

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little missing scene taking place between episodes 2 & 3\. Because I can't resist the pull of GREEK MYTH BANTER! Originally published as part of Matthew/Mary Monday Madness a few weeks ago on the LJ community (mmmondaymadness) but I thought it could do with a wider audience. :)

It was a particularly warm Saturday in October when Matthew, on his usual walk up to the Abbey, saw his cousin Mary sitting on a bench reading a book. He stopped some way away and observed her, admiring the picturesque composition of the scene – the woman with her head bent over her book, the bench, and the tree providing a shelter for both. Or maybe he simply admired her: Cousin Mary was very beautiful, dangerously beautiful, and Matthew could not help his eyes being drawn to her whenever he saw her. It was rather pathetic, especially since she took every opportunity to treat him with scorn. Nevertheless, Matthew's feet brought him to a halt not far from her and so he stared.

Then she happened to look up. She raised her eyebrows in surprise to see him standing there and Matthew's mouth fell slightly open at being caught. He quickly closed it when she spoke.

"Cousin Matthew! I suppose you have come to see my father?"

He hesitated and then walked over to the bench to stand in front of her. "Yes, I have."

Mary was smiling curiously up at him but it was the kind of smile a cat gives a bowl of cream or possibly an unlucky mouse. It was still a very brilliant smile. Matthew was silent for a moment, wondering if she minded being interrupted (probably) and if he had time to dawdle (probably not), before saying eventually, his eyes flickering to her book, "More Greek myths, cousin?"

"Yes, actually," she replied, her eyes amused. She held the book out to him and he took it and glanced at the the spine. His eyebrows shot up.

"Ovid's  _Metamorphoses_! I didn't think you were serious..."

She shrugged slightly, neither in agreement nor in denial. Matthew hesitated a moment longer, unconsciously tapping the book with his finger, before sitting down slowly beside her. She had looked away across the lawn, apparently bored with him, so he took the opportunity to watch her profile a moment longer, appreciating the straightness of her nose, the waves of soft hair over her ears, the curve of her lips as she enjoyed the attention... Matthew cleared his throat and opened the book.

"Well, cousin, let us see if your sea-monster is as dreadful as you claim."

He leaned forward to pour over the book, and was surprised to find the marker in the very story he wanted. He glanced at her again and found her now watching him almost indulgently. Licking his lips nervously and rather resenting her condescension – she was making him do all the work! he thought irrationally – he turned back to the pages.

 _His body o'er the deep was widely spread..._ _The monster could not his wild rage restrain... The crooked sabre to its hilt he drove... Now, like a savage boar, when chaf'd with wounds..._

Matthew swallowed. "A fearsome beast indeed!" he said, leaning back and smiling at her, trying to make light of the powerful passage of poetry he had just read.

Mary finally bothered to speak. "Of course! If Perseus' triumph is to carry any weight then the monster must be at least a little impressive."

Matthew could not help but a smirk at this. "Must he indeed? Well, I suppose a little impressive is better than leaving no impression at all!"

"I think you have forgotten the ending of the story, cousin. Perseus slays the monster, and marries the princess to the great rejoicing of all."

"Apart from the sea-monster," he felt obliged to point out.

Was that a tiny smile hovering around her lips? "I fancy the sea-monster would not have much of a say in it, being dead by this point!"

Matthew shook his head and placed the book back in her hands with great deliberation.

"I have always prefered the story of Theseus myself," he said after a short pause, risking a sideways glance at her.

She was interested though she tried to pretend she wasn't. "Oh?"

"Yes, and how when he arrives at Crete Ariadne chooses to assist him in finding his way to the centre of the labyrinth and back out again. I'm sure Theseus appreciated her help in her father's palace very much."

"He appreciated it so much he then abandoned her on Naxos and sailed off to Athens without her," retorted Mary, her eyes meeting his darkly. "Some hero!"

Matthew was determined not to let her get the upper hand, determined not to appear to be as affected by her nearness beside him as he was. So he grinned at her. "She fell asleep and missed her chance. Some heroine!"

For a moment they glared at each other, Matthew enjoying his victory, Mary more frostily.

Finally she pursed her lips. "Isn't my father expecting you soon? I suppose you have tedious estate matters to discuss." A note of querulous resentment had crept into her voice.

He stood up and put his hat back on. "Yes, very probably. I should go." Once more he hesitated before her, wishing there was more he could say than what he did say. "Good day, Cousin Mary."

"Good day." She inclined her head to him and then opened the book again and Matthew knew he was being dismissed.

Just as he was walking away, she spoke again and he turned round to see her looking after him, leaning her arm on the back of the bench. "Papa," she said, "you'll find him in the library."

He met her eyes for a moment and then smiled briefly. "Thanks!"

Then they both turned away.

**Author's Note:**

> Quotations from the _Metamorphoses_ are from a 1717 translation by Sir Samuel Garth, John Dryden, et al and come from Book IV. Read it [here](http://classics.mit.edu/Ovid/metam.4.fourth.html).


End file.
